Connector with removable insulating sleeve



3,3 76,540 CONNECTOR WITH REMOVABLE INSULATING SLEEVE KARL-ALBERT TURBAN April 2, 1968 Filed Dec. 8, 1965 FIG.4.

FIG.5.

F I G. 6

INVENTOR K0 rl-Albert Turban MM; ATTORNEYS FBG.7.

United States Patent Ofiiice 3,376,540 Patented Apr. 2, 1968 3,376,540 CONNECTOR WITH REMOVABLE INSULATING SLEEVE Karl-Albert Turban, Karlsruhe, Germany, assignor to Multi-Contact A.G., Basel, Switzerland Filed Dec. 8, 1965, Ser. No. 512,449 12 Claims. (Cl. 339-59) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An insulated connector with a removable insulating sleeve or sheath that can be put on or taken oif manually without the use of tools. The connector comprises a connector body; a lead, arranged on the side of and attached to the outer circumference of the connector body; and removable sleeve-shaped insulating means made of elastic material for covering the connector body and the lead. The insulating means has a tubular part of a tear-drop shaped cross section which surrounds the connector body and the lead and a cap-like closure part connected to the tubular part, in the region of one end of the tear-drop shaped cross section, by means of a hinge. The closure part is capable of being snapped onto the tubular part so that, in a first position, it covers the end of the connector and, in a second position, it is off the connector.

The closure part, further, carries .a loop for locking itself to the tubular part when it is in its first position.

The present invention relates to a connector having a removable insulating sleeve, which connector is provided with a laterally attached lead arranged at the outer circumference of the connector, this lead being covered by the insulation.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a connector with a removable insulating sleeve or sheath, which sleeve can be put on or taken off manually without requiring any tools or other auxiliary devices. The insulation, which should consist of one integral piece, should not occupy more space than permanently attached insulating sleeves, nor should it be necessary to thread the insulating sleeves before the lead is attached.

With the above object in View, the present invention resides, basically, in an insulated connector arrangement which comprises a connector, a lead which is arranged laterally of the connector and is attached to the outer circumference thereof, and removable, sleeve-shaped insulating means, made of elastic material, for covering the connector and the lead. The insulating means have a tubular part which surrounds the connector and the lead, and a cap-like closure part which is connected with the tubular part and is movable with respect thereto between a first position in which the closure part covers an end of the connector and is next to the tubular part, and a second position in which the closure part is oil? the connector.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the tubular part has a tear-drop shaped cross section and the closure part is connected to the tubular part, in the region of one end of this tear-drop shaped cross section, with a hinge, preferably a web-type hinge. The closure part is a snap-on part and carries a loop for locking the closure part when the same is in its first position, to the tubular part. All of'the parts of the insulation, i.e., the tubular part, the closure part, the hinge and the loop, are preferably made of one integral piece.

According to a further feature of the present invention, the closure part carries a wedge which, when the closure part is in its first position, lies within the tubular part and prevents shifting of the connector with respect to the insulating means.

Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of a slotted connector which is equipped with an insulation according to the present invention, the connector and insulation being shown on an enlarged scale.

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the insulation of FIGURE 1, FIGURE 2 showing the connector which is slotted difierently than the connector of FIGURE 1, in its entirety. 7

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the connector of FIGURE 1, without the lead or insulation.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the insulation together with its closure part, the same being shown when the insulation is in its unstressed condition.

FIGURE 5 shows the insulation of FIGURE 4 with the closure part having been pivoted by 180".

FIGURE 6 shows the insulation of FIGURES 4 and 5 with the locking loop in its hooked-on position.

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of a connector incorporating a plurality of coaxial tubular parts.

Referring now to the drawings and first to FIGURES l, 2 and 3 thereof, the same show a connector which is made of spring-elastic metallic material and which has a bevelled end, to facilitate insertion. The connector is provided with a longitudinal slot that extends throughout a portion of the length of the connector, so as to provide the connector with a radially resilient contact-making part which, in axial direction, transitions into a lead- 1 connecting part. In the case of the connector 1 of FIG- URES 1 and 3, the slot is an axial slot 11 while in the case of the connector 1' of FIGURE 2, the slot is a zigzag or toothed slot 12.

The connector 1, 1, is provided at its lead-connecting part with a flap 3 which is adapted to receive a lead 2.

One end of this lead 2, which has had the insulation stripped from it, is in electrical contact with the flap 3. The lead 2 may be soldered to the flap 3 or it may be wedged to the flap 3 by means of the tubular part 4 of the generally sleeve-shaped insulating means, shown as a whole at 20. The end of the lead 2 which is bent over the flap 3 is prevented from being pulled 01f by means of the tubular part 4 which is slipped over the connector and the lead.

The insulation is further provided with closure part in the form of snap-on type which is connected to the part 4 by means of a hinge in the form of a web 5. The cap 6, which is provided with an opening 7, has connected to it the ends of a locking loop 8. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the loop 8, the cap 6, the web 5 and the tubular part 4 are made of a single piece, for example a piece of injection-molded plastic as, for eX- ia liiiple, polyethylene, polyamide, polyvinyl chloride or the The cap 6 is also provided with an integral wedgeshaped part 9 which, when the cap is placed onto the end of the tubular part 4, projects into the part 4, thereby to wedge the lead 2 against the inner surface of the part 4 so as to relieve the lead proper of any pulling-force to which it might be subjected. The wedge-shaped part 9 also prevents the connector from being excessively shifted longitudinally with respect to the tubular part 4.

As is apparent from the drawings, the tubular part 4 has a generally tear-drop shaped cross section and the hinge 5 connects the cap 6 to the part 4 in the region of one end of this tear drop shaped cross section; in the a and then being fixed by spot welding. FIGURE 3 shows two such spot welds 13 and 14 with which the edges of the pre-forrned connector are held together. The spot welds are preferably located on opposite sides of the flap 3.

FIGURES 4, and 6 show the various positions of the cap with respect to the tubular part 4, FIGURES 5 and 6 showing a first position in which the cap covers an end of the connector and is next to the tubular part 4 of the insulation (this also being the position shown in FIG- URES l and 2) and FIGURE 4 showing a second position in which the closure part is oir the connector.

Before the cap is snapped onto the sleeve, the stripped end of the lead 2 is secured to the flap 3, either by soldering or by hooking it over the flap. The connector, together with the thus connected lead, is then inserted as shown by the arrow [1 in FIGURE 4, that is to say, the connector is first passed through the loop 8 and then introduced into the tubular part 4. In the course of this, the elastic tubular part 4 presses the lead 2 and the connector to each other so that a reliable electric contact is obtained even if the lead and connector are not welded to each other. When the cap 6 is then swung upwardly, to occupy the second position shown in FIGURE 5, the wedge shaped part 9 penetrates the interior of the tubular part 4 and holds the connector in place within the interior of the tubular part 4, as shown in FIGURE 2. Furthermore, the wedge-shaped part 9 coacts with the tubular part 4 to press the lead 2 against the tubular part 4, so that when a pull is exerted on the lead 2, the pull will not be taken up by the insulation of the lead 2 but by the insulation 20. If the latter is made of transparent or translucent material, the inter-engagement between the lead 2 and the flap 4 can continuously be observed.

The insulating means 20 according to the present invention can be made in any desired dimension. It has been found that particularly advantages are obtained in the case of plug-type connectors which are used in conjunction with high-density plug boards because the space which the insulation can occupy must not be any greater than in the case of connectors equipped with permanently installed insulation.

FIGURE 7 shows a multiple-tube connector 1a which incorporates a plurality of coaxial and longitudinally slotted tubular parts 1. Such connector may, in accordance with the present invention, be used in conjunction with the insulating means 20, of which FIGURE 7 shows only the tubular part 4.

It will thus be seen that, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a connector which is equipped with a removable insulation, this connector having a laterally arranged lead which is connected to the outer circumference of the connector and which lead is also covered by the insulation. The insulation itself is sleeveshaped and is made of an elastic material, there being a snap-on type cap part which is connected with the tubular sleeve part of the insulation.

As set forth above, the cap may be provided with an opening which makes the insulated connector accessible from the outside. This is particularly advantageous when the connector is to be used in conjunction with a rear socket and makes it possible, for the first time, to provide insulation for this type of contact with can readily be mounted by hand without requiring any tools.

The insulation can have any desired shape. In practice, it has been found expedient to provide the above-described teardrop shape cross section, the hinge web being connected to one end of this cross section, although other cross sections may be used.

As best seen from FIGURE 4, the insulation is so constructed that when the parts are in their unstressed condition, i.e., a position in which the cap is not in engagement with the tubular part 4, the longitudinal axis of the tubular part 4 and of the cap 6 are substantially parallel, and the loop 8 and the hinge web 5 lie in a plane which A is substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the tubular part 4. This brings with it the advantage that the one-piece insulation can more easily be made by conventional injection molding processes.

According to yet another feature, the tubular part 4 is provided with a recess which is at that end of the tubular part 4 that is away from the end at which the cap 6 is connected to the sleeve. This recess allows the loop 8 to be hooked in place.

Other features of the present invention are the following:

In practice, the connector may be made of a material such as beryllium bronze; this material, once hardened, has excellent spring characteristics and high electrical conductivity. The surface can be coated with a precious metal, for example gold.

Also, the longitudinal slot of the tube can be toothed, so as to give the plug versatility.Furthermore, the longitudinal slot may, either in its entirety or sections thereof, be helical. In order to increase the elasticity, the part adjoining the slotted part can be provided with slits of various shapes and distributed evenly about the circumference. The same result may be obtained by weakening the material at the proper places.

The connector itself can have a circular, elliptical, spiralshape or S-shaped cross section, or a cross section which is a combination of these cross sections.

In order to establish coaxial connections, or in order to increase the current-carrying capacity of the connector, the connector itself may be equipped with a plurality of concentric, slitted tubes, as shown in FIGURE 7.

It will be understood that the above description of the present invention is susceptible to various modifications, changes, and adaptations, and the same are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An insulated connector arrangement comprising, in combination:

(a) a connector;

(b) a lead arranged laterally of said connector and attached to the outer circumference thereof; and

(c) removable sleeve-shaped insulating means made of elastic material for covering said connector and said lead, said insulating means having a tubular part of tear-drop shaped cross section which surrounds said connector and said lead, and a cap-like closure part which is connected to said tubular part, in the region of one end of said tear-drop shaped cross section thereof, with a hinge, said closure part being a snapon part which is movable with respect to said tubular part between a first position in which said closure part covers an end of said connector and is next to said tubular part and a second position in which said closure part is off said connector, said closure part carrying a loop for locking said closure part, when the same is in its first position, to said tubular part.

2. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said tubular part, said closure part, said hinge and said loop of said insulating means are one integral piece.

3. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said hinge is a web, and wherein, when said insulating means are in unstressed condition, said closure part is in its second position, and wherein, when insulating means are in 5. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said tubular part is provided, in the region of the end which is spaced from the points at which said closure part is attached, with a recess into which said loop may be hooked.

6. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein at least said tubular part is made of transparent or translucent material for allowing visual observation of the connection between said lead and said connector.

7. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said connector, throughout a portion of its length, is longitudinally slotted to provide a radially resilient tubular part which, in axial directions, transitions into a lead-connecting part, being said last-mentioned part to which said lead is connected.

8. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said connector is an integral piece and is made from a hardenable spring sheet, the same being cut in its unhardened stage, then bent into tube shape, and then being fixed by spot welding.

9. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said longitudinal slot is zig-zag or tooth-shaped.

10. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein the leading edge of said connector is bevelled.

11. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said connector is provided with a pluralty of coaxal tubular parts.

12. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said connector is made of iberyllium bronze.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,121,178 6/1938 Sousa.

2,878,456 3/1959 Cormier 33944 2,964,726 12/ 1960 Michals 339-149 3,246,282 4/1966 Mas et a1. 339-209 MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner. FRANCIS K. ZUGEL, Examiner. J. H. MCGLYNN, Assistant Examiner. 

